Chronic Ardor
by darklight1735
Summary: Attending his father's place of work at a nearby hospital, Natsu meets and quickly befriends a local patient named Gray. Natsu x Gray
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer, I do not own Fairy Tai**l.

**Pairing, Natsu/Gray **

**Enjoy!**

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The artificial glow of florescent lights glared on the squeaky clean tiles underfoot. People bustled about, going this way and that. Others sat on uncomfortable blue leather chairs, filling out forms with pens running out of ink. A few women sat behind a counter, using skilled fingers to type on keyboards, information slowly coming to life on old computer monitors.

A set of tanned hands pulled a stark white coat on while a troublesome nametag found its place. The top few buttons of the lab coat were quickly pushed into place. A stethoscope hung around a neck, the cold metal gleaming. A few loose strands of brilliant red hair were swept from cheery coal eyes.

A man approached the front desk in the center of the room, leaning on the counter and waving to one of the employees behind. A nurse looked up at him, smiling in greeting. "Nice to see you again, Dr. Dragneel."

The cardiologist grinned back. "Hello to you too, Martha. Didn't I already say it's just Igneel?"

"Let me get you your schedule for the day."

Igneel sighed, once again ignored. There was a shuffling of papers and then a rusty clipboard was handed to him. The doctor scanned several pages, letting the explanatory text sink in. Igneel raised one eyebrow as he flipped through the pages.

The nurse just gave him an 'ignorant' smile. "Is there something wrong, sir?"

"It's nothing." Igneel drawled. "I was just thinking it's rather strange how full my day is, especially considering this was supposed to be my day off."

The nurse gave a tiny grimace. "Yes, about that-"

"It's fine." Igneel cut her off. "However, there is one problem."

The nurse beheld him in surprise. "Problem?"

"Just a little one," Igneel turned and waved at someone the nurse couldn't see over the counter, "but a rather rambunctious one. Natsu,"

A small child of only five years looked up at him in curiosity. Messy sakura bangs fell over a tanned forehead in soft spikes. Jovial eyes that matched his father's peered up at the adults. The boy's rosy cheeks still held remnants of baby fat, adding to his innocent appearance.

The nurse let out a sigh and turned to the cardiologist. "Last I checked today wasn't bring your kid to work day."

"Ah, but you see, since I was called in on such short notice I didn't have time to find anyone to watch him for the day. Then I thought, since you're the one who called me in…"

The nurse sent him a not-so-serious glare. "You drive a hard bargain. But if having you here today gets the boss off my back I'll do it." Igneel gave her a thankful smile and a wave before running off for his first appointment. The nurse gave the child another look over before motioning for him to sit behind the counter with her. After making sure he was sitting quietly she turned back to deal with arriving patients.

Natsu sat on one of spare chairs, swinging his legs back and forth since they were too short to reach the ground. He glanced around the cramped space he was sitting in, fidgeting and twisting his head to see everything. It wasn't like the last handful of times he'd visited his father's place of work. There wasn't a bunch of flashy equipment that he didn't understand the purpose for. Instead there were filing cabinets shoved against the wall with folders that had colorful tabs poking out.

Natsu peered over the counter and saw another hallway leading to who knows what. It took all but a second for him to choose he wanted to travel over there. Blame his short attention span; he can't stay still for long. The five year looked over at the nurse who was still busy talking to someone. Deciding this would be the best time he slipped from his seat, lightly landing on his sandaled feet.

He silently slinked around the corner of the desk, just out of view of getting caught. He ducked behind waiting room chairs before he was close enough to make a break for it. Double checking one last time he wasn't being watched he scurried away, beginning his exploration.

The rosette wondered down the hallway, not noticing much as most doors led to supply closets or were closed off for individual use. He turned down another hall, looking for something more interesting. The sound of laughter caught his fascination. Not having anything better to do he pursued the sound, searching for its source.

Turning down another in a long series of halls he slowly made his way towards the sound. He stopped in front of a set of double glass doors leading to another waiting room. He could see a bunch of women filing charts or reading magazines with kids sitting next to them. He turned his head a bit and saw even more kids, most of them his age or younger, playing around a beaten old train set that had been placed in the room to distract them during the wait. Natsu felt a shiver run through his spine when he realized his dad had taken him here before. One second he was sitting bored, the next there was the painful sting of a shot going through his arm.

The rosette shuffled from foot to foot, debating if he still wanted to go in, the memory of the vaccination still fresh on his mind. Then again, it's not like his father was there to make him get one this time. Taking one deep breath he gathered up his courage and pushed open the heavy doors.

Natsu spun around, taking it all in. Bright pictures were still hung on the walls and colorful tiles were mixed in with the white every few steps to look friendly. The whole place was like a room full of lies. It only seems nice and happy until you go in the back. He had to admit, even if he had nothing to worry about he felt brave just coming in here. It was almost-

"Ow!"

Natsu rubbed his sore head. Without realizing it he had wondered over to the train set and tripped over a spare piece on the floor. He slowly lifted his throbbing head, looking for what he'd hit when he fell. He felt a blush come over him along with a stream of 'sorries' when he realized it wasn't a "what" but a "who."

A kid was rubbing his equally hurting skull, courtesy of Natsu's head bumping. The rosette was still in the middle of his apology when the kid bothered to look up at him. Bright azure pools met his black ones in mild surprise. A shaggy mop of messy raven hair covered his head in tresses. He stared at Natsu for a while before breaking into a dazzling smile. "It's okay, you didn't mean it." Natsu let out a relieved sigh at being forgiven and helped the other up. "I'm Gray, by the way."

"Natsu." The rosette greeted. The raven let out a childish giggle, and for some reason, Natsu blushed harder. "What?!"

"That's a girly name."

Natsu felt his face heat up even more and his easily irritable side coming out. "Is not!"

"Is so."

"Well…" Natsu squirmed a bit trying to find a comeback. "Yours is a color."

The raven just gave him that cheeky smile again, ignoring the other's failed attempt to say something clever. "Nice to meet you too, Natsu. Hey, since you ran into me do you want to make it up to me? All you have to do is play with me for a while.

Natsu opened his mouth to say he couldn't but Gray was still gleefully grinning at him and he couldn't help but smile back. Taking that as a yes Gray grabbed his hand in his and started pulling him along.

…

Time passed in a blur after that. Useless, lively, babble and grinning repetitively from ear to ear became as common to them as breathing. Friendly arguing was thrown in, none of it taken to heart. At one point there had been a semi-serious conflict, at least by kid standards, that ended with a fit of laughter

They were in the middle of debating ice cream flavors when their conversation was cut short. Gray's name was called and a woman with short cropped dark hair was waving over to him. The raven turned to the rosette and gave one last parting smile, waved bye, and went over to her. Natsu watched a little dejected as he left. Truth be told he liked the raven, even if they had just met.

With shoulders slumped forward Natsu left the children's wing. Sighs escaped him at finding himself lonely once more, and just a hint of an ingenuous pout was visible on his lips. He went back the winding and twisting hallways, at some points taking wrong turns. A few people asked him if he was lost, which he wasn't, he just didn't know the exact way back…

He was just about to take a turn when he heard his name called. He swiveled his head to the side. The nurse his dad had dropped him off with earlier was walking towards him. Natsu felt a twinge of guilt when he remembered what he was supposed to be doing, sitting quietly in place.

The nurse reached him and took his hand to drag him back to her station. Relief washed over her at knowing she no longer had to explain to one of the best doctors on staff how she lost his son.

…

"Mommy, can I eat again after this?"

"Hmm," The dark haired woman was busying herself trying to pull the shirt over her five year old's head. Gray lifted up his skinny arms, making her job easier. Her son was still looking at her in curiosity. She couldn't blame him; the poor thing had been fasting since last night. "Course you can. After this is done you can have anything you want."

The two of them were sitting on the high up surface of the patient's seat, right on top of that awful crinkly paper. Ur, as Gray's mother was named, was in the middle of trying to unbutton her squirming son's pants at the moment. The small raven was glancing around the room they were in, noting how bland it was. "Weren't we in a different hospital last week?"

Ur held onto her sons arm, helping him step out of his trousers. "We were."

"Then how come we're at this one?"

"Well, because the last one didn't have the equipment they needed to look for- Lyon, could you hand me that?" The six year old, who had been soundlessly sitting off to the side this whole time, rose from his seat. He picked up what the two's mother had pointed to. A colorful, scratchy piece of cloth was passed over to Ur's outstretched hand. The young mother unfolded the pile and turned back to the questioning raven. "As I was saying, looking for anything that shouldn't be there."

Gray reached his arms through the sleeves of the hospital gown his mother was trying to get on him. "How are they going to do that?"

"Well…" Ur leaned back, examining her work. The colorful fabric hung off her son almost to his feet, making it look more like a drape than a gown. "First they're going to stick you on this platform, and you're going to have to lie still for a while."

"Then what?" Gray gazed up at her with those stunning blue eyes of his.

"Next, you're going to go through this big machine for a while."

"What does the machine do?" The five year old tilted his head to the side.

"It looks at your tummy." Ur poked him in the stomach lightly getting her child to smile at her for the motherly affection. She tickled him, gaining a few short lived giggles.

"Then what?" Gray was still watching her, living up to his reputation as an inquisitive kid.

Ur gave her son a smile that any kid would have seen as warm. But had anyone a bit older and a bit more mature seen it would have noticed how tired her eyes were. "Then they're going to say you're just perfect."

A low knock came at the door, ending what was slowly developing into a painful conversation. Ur picked up the five year, placing him protectively on her hip and strode over to the door. A doctor stood in the doorway when she made it over. The pediatrician gave them an amiable smile. "Are we ready then?"

Ur gave a short nod in response.

"Then let's get started."

* * *

**I don't even know what's wrong with me anymore. Every time I write this pairing a story it's always Gray who has the crappy life. There's just something about letting him be happy that I just can't do. **

**Too bad for him this was only the beginning... **


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Fairy Tail, that privileged belongs to Hiro Mashima. **

**I did, however, finish this chapter, which is good enough for me (at the moment). **

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"This should just take a minute…"

Natsu watched with his impassive eyes as his father strode across the room and into another. The five-year-old shifted from the spot he had been deposited, a little impatient. It was just like his father to always be productive. Even on days like this when they were finally supposed to be spending time together. Shoulders slumped he made his way down to the chairs set up a little further in the waiting room.

Grabbing the wooden arms on the chair he was able to hoist himself up. He leaned back, sinking in on his own frame. He silently studied the room. His sight drifted over to the letters printed over the door. The word "PEDIATRIC" was in bold, and after asking his father what that meant once he had half of the meaning. He couldn't remember the full definition he'd been given. Three more words in bold followed that one, but the only one he knew off the top of his head was "CARE," must not be that serious than.

He looked over at the badly painted images on the walls. Dancing animals smiling and holding balloons among other things. It wasn't like the last children's hospital room he was in. This one was sadder somehow...

His mouth turned from a fine line to a frown. He swung his legs a hopped down from the chair. He figured he could find his dad's office from this part of the building. Igneel would probably figure where he was at eventually. He just couldn't take being alone here, it was almost demorali-

"Natsu?"

The pinkette snapped his head up at hearing his name called. He pivot his head awkwardly in the direction he heard the sound. A kid mayhap just a hair small than himself was padding up to him. Natsu squinted his eyes, trying to figure out how the other knew his name. He stopped a few feet in front of him, looking intently at the rosette. Natsu fought back the urge to squirm as he felt the pressure of being inspected by the other. Inelegant seconds of silence ticked by, as the two stood off. Natsu blinked in confusion as the boy suddenly broke out into a wide grin.

"It is you."

Natsu furrowed his eyebrows, scrutinizing the boy. He almost reeled back in surprise as he placed that voice and recognized those azure pools.

"Gray?"

If it was possible for the pallid boy's smile to get any bigger it did. "Took you long enough. What is your brain made of? Fire?"

The rosette barely heard the insult. He leaned forward, studying the boy in disbelief. It couldn't have been more than a month that he bumped into the other, but already Gray looked drastically different. His thick, jet-black hair was patchy now, more scalp showing than hair. Dark circles hugged his sapphire eyes in ways he'd only ever seen on adults. A plastic wristband was cuffed around his wrist, loosely hanging off. There was a fog around him, like he was permanently groggy. If he had thought the "raven" was pale the last time they met he was positively colorless now. There was an overall feeling to him that made him seem… _wrong_. He didn't know how to describe it but there was something else there that Natsu distasted. Somehow the other just wasn't real to him anymore. Natsu's mouth formed a diminutive "oh" he wasn't sure but he thought he was able to choke out a mangled "Hi."

Gray's reached out and grabbed onto his wrist, pulling off in a direction he didn't know. He was vaguely aware of the boy's mouth moving, but he couldn't make out the words. He was too focused on the hand latched on to him. A thin layer of skin was stretched over the bone, making it seem like it should belong to a skeleton instead of a kid.

"…don't 'cha think?"

"Huh?"

Gray frowned at him. "You don't listen much, do you?" Natsu chewed his lip, slightly abashed. "I said we should play together more."

The pinkette let his eyes roam over the sickly boy. A memory flashed across his mind. His father once told him when people get especially sick they stay at the hospital for a while, but he could recall older people were the only ones who needed to. He couldn't possibly think of a reason why Gray was here, no matter how ill he looked, kids don't get sick like that, right? Even with that in mind he couldn't help but notice the pitying looks Gray unknowingly received as they passed nurses, doctors, and other passerbyers.

"Course we can."

…

"You said your first child died of this…correct?"

Ur held back the urge to snap that he was supposed to have read the files on her family already. Her petulant side was coming out every passing minute she spent dealing with, as she had dubbed him, moron. The few moments she'd known this man he had proven to be, in her opinion, incompetent to say the least. Every nervous fidget he gave and superfluous question made her more and more sure she didn't want him to be in charge of her baby.

"As for your husband, he suffered the same before he die-"

The man closed his mouth, silenced by the dark look the raven haired woman was giving him. Ur leaned back in her chair, surveying the withering man under her gaze. She wished for the umpteenth time that the last doctor that had been in charge (whom she had absolutely adored) hadn't left suddenly on an emergency call from a different hospital. Now she had to deal with the daunting task of finding a doctor better than the default one that had been assigned to them.

"…Right, as I was saying... Since both you and your other son, Lyon, correct? Well since both of you tested negative there's no way to run genetic test to find out specifics. Perhaps if there's anyone else in your family that hasn't passed…?"

Ur shook her head. "I've already gone back in our family history. There's no one else anymore except for Gray."

"We'll have to rely on examinations of him only." The medic rubbed his eyes, trying to wrap his head around what their course of action should be. "His case was luckily caught early on; we'll have a better chance at keeping it from spreading. Would you say he's underwent any sudden incidents?"

The raven did the opposite of her last response. "He's had a handful of spasm. One of which was pretty serious, but he hasn't suffered from seizures at this point."

"Describe his spasms."

"They're just that." Ur muttered. "He's fine then without warning his muscles contract. He's blacked out a few times…"

"That's most likely linked to something else in his system. I'll have a nurse run an investigation later."

"There was this one time…he and his brother share a bunk bed and he was climbing on to the top…He must have been half way up the ladder when he fell." Her voice steadily got lower; she blinked back a few tears as her mind replayed the memory in her head. "He's not going to have to stop acting like a kid, right? He'll still be able to climb, and run, and swim, an-"

"We'll keep a close eye on his condition." The physician butted in before she could break down. "We'll schedule him in for physical therapy while he's in treatment. It's not exactly his version of 'playing' but it'll keep him from losing a majority of his physical strength."

Ur gave a numb nod, still fearing the worst, most of which had already happened.

The doctor leaned back, waiting for her to calm a bit more before continuing. When the woman across from him rose her head not a trace of her breakdown could be seen, there wasn't even a hint of red to her eyes. He wondered shortly how she managed at home with such a strong willed attitude on this.

"Now, would you say there's been a change in Gray's mental state?"

…

Natsu scribbled messily on the turtle outline in front of him. One crayon's waxy neon orange colored substance giving the picture an odd cartoonish spin from the original species. Gray sat next to him, coloring an equally untidy purple snowman.

"How come you're here so often?"

Natsu glanced up at the newly voiced question. He grinned thinking about it. "It's 'cause my dad works here. Sometimes he 'forgets' to make sure someone's watching me for the day. So once a month I get to come here, though it's usually boring without anyone my age."

Gray's eyes widened in excitement. "Really? How 'bout we just always try to find each other when you do? That we neither of us ever gets lonely."

"It's a deal." Natsu's smile faltered almost as soon as it came. "What about in a few months? I have to start school then."

"You're starting school too? Where at?"

"Magnolia Elementary." Natsu stated, mentally picturing the cheery school building in his mind's eye.

Gray let out an uncharacteristic squeal. "That's where I'm going."

Natsu's smile returned full force. If he had been nervous about that looming first day, all apprehensions melted away at that moment. Had he known what gambling was he would have bet his favorite toy that that year was going to a good one. He reached out one hand, earning a curious gaze from Gray.

"Let's make a deal."

Gray cocked his head to the side.

"From now on we'll be best friends. That way wherever we are we're not lonely."

Gray stared at him, so quietly that Natsu wondered if he had suddenly changed his mind and didn't want to spend time with him anymore. A silly irrational fear came over him that the other was only willing to play with him when he was bored. Yet then it wouldn't make sense tha-

"Deal."

Gray clasped his hand, squeezing it (surprisingly) warmly. He was even more shocked when he swore for a moment the fog he spotted around Gray earlier had disappeared for a moment, but when he blinked it was there again.

"There you are, Natsu."

At hearing his name the pinkette looked up. Gray glanced in the same direction, confusion written on his features as a man in a long lab coat strode towards them. The man looked down at Gray in puzzlement before looking back over at his son.

The pinkette grinned and squeezed Gray's hand back. "Gray, this is my dad. Dad, this is my new friend, Gray."

Igneel squatted down, making himself eyelevel with the two children. He peered at Gray, taking in his bleary appearance. The raven ducked his head down, too shy to look a much bigger adult in the eye. The rosette gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "It's okay; he's not as scary as he looks."

Igneel gave a low chuckle and Gray coughed out a stuttering "Hi." The man reached out a hand, not knowing he was mimicking his five year old son. Dumbfound, Gray took it, shaking it not as strongly as Igneel did. Natsu squinted at his father in disarray. He wasn't looking at Gray like everyone else had been. It was like he didn't even realize Gray was sick.

"Well hello to you too, Gray. It's always nice to know my son is making new friends, not terrorizing them."

"Hey!"

"You'll have to forgive my interruption, but it's time Natsu and I be going. Otherwise the head of staff might find out I brought him, and I may or may not be on their bad side at the moment. Adieu, for now."

Natsu gave a small pout. Knowing better than to argue with his father, who he had code-named a dragon whenever he tried to challenge his authority (which obviously wasn't often), he complied and followed the man out the door. He turned and gave Gray one last parting wave before disappearing down the hallway.

…

Gray let out a long sigh as he was left alone once more. His eyes drifted down to the badly filled in turtle Natsu had been working on. He grabbed the page, quickly stuffing it into his coloring book. He got to his feet, subconsciously rubbing his tired eyes. He hadn't realized how much just casual conversation had worn him out so easily.

He shuffled down the halls, slowly making his way back to the room he had been in for the past who knew how many days. He wished his brother wasn't in school right now. He hadn't even expected to see Natsu again, especially today. He was mostly alone during the day now, and night weren't much better. His mom was usually there, but even now she was busy in a meeting of some sorts.

He entered one of the cramp rooms, empty of any other living being at the time. A bed that hadn't been made from the last time he slept on it was against one of the walls, his stuffed animal polar bear sitting on top the rough sheets. He crawled on; cuddling in what he wished was his own soft covers. He let his eyes shut and a gentle sleepiness took over. The last thing he remembered before he was completely out was the familiar hand of his mother brushing through his hair.

* * *

**Sorry about how long this took, but considering everyone else has been busy with starting school again at least it's understandable. But I promise the next one will be up sooner.**

**Okay, this is a spoiler for the next chapter, but is anyone else excited about the new character? His name's a color, he better be Gray related, otherwise Mashima really does have an evil sense of humor when it comes to teasing his fans. **


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Fairy Tail.**

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"You take that back, Gajeel!"

The threat left the uproarious third grader in a fierce snarl. A hearty growl matched the rising and falling of his chest as he stood off to the playground bully. His fist were clenched into mini weapons, small but powerful enough to bruise the larger boy. The taller adolescent just smirked at him, amused at being challenged so offhandedly. His hard eyes were alight with fury. He wore heavy boots, thick enough that the heel of which could cause a nasty scrap compared to Natsu's sandals. He wore leather, fingerless gloves with studded metal bits, something that was guaranteed to be snatched up by any authority figures had they been around to see.

"Make me."

Natsu gnashed his teeth and raised one fist, expertly reeling his arm back as he did. The loftier boy smirked again and moved into a defensive stance. He brought his hands together and cracked his knuckles, each individual popping sound a beat to the pinkette's funeral march.

A hand closed around his fist, trying to lower the appendage. A skinny arm wrapped around him, pinning his arm to his side. A form pressed into his back, hugging him from behind in a petition. Natsu twisted his head around and glared at the other boy trying to keep him from fighting. Shaggy black hair covered the boy's head, softly tickling the back of the rosette's neck. The raven's dark cyan jewels stared back into his pitch-black ones and his cheeks were flushed a light amaranth pink from being outside in the heat for so long. Natsu narrowed his eyes, glowering at the other with the same hateful expression he had given the first black haired lad.

"What?!"

The smaller raven ignored his question, the sharp bitterness of Natsu's voice not the least bit troublesome to his self, he had dealt with it for years after all. "You're not supposed to be fighting again." He stated forthright. "Erza will beat us up again if you do."

Gajeel snorted, laughing at the both of them. "What? Scared of a _girl?!"_

Natsu snapped his head back, glaring back at the tyrant. "Shut up already!"

"I expected the runt to be that weak, but I thought you'd be a challenge."

"Leave Gray out of this!" Natsu yelled, stomping his foot angrily. His face heated up, turning red in frustration. His nails dug into his soft palm, cutting his tender skin.

"Disgusting too. His skin color matches his name."

"Shut up!"

"Natsu, we're going to get in trouble again-"

"I don't need your help." Natsu screamed, turning and shoving the raven away from him. Gray stumbled back a few steps before landing on his butt in the dirt. The pinkette turned back and swung a fist at his intimidator.

Gray watched with hurt eyes as the rosette turned his back on him to face _his_ persecutor. He nervously chewed his lip, hoping no one was watching. The last time Natsu got into a fight they weren't allowed to play together for a week outside of school.

The arrogant smirk still plastered on Gajeel's face was enough to make the pinkette lose all remaining better judgment. He swung a fist and hit Gajeel squarely in the center of his chest. The older boy didn't let out so much as an "oof" as he returned a punch of his own. The air left Natsu in a rush as the boy's knuckles sunk deep into his stomach. He stumbled back and raised his hand again, this time aiming for the raven's face.

Arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him down. Natsu fell back, landing on top of a bony form. The clanking of a rusty cowbell was the official end to their fight. Gajeel gave one last final simper before leaving to return to class. Natsu gritted his teeth with every step the other took. He pushed himself abruptly from the ground, scrambling to his feet, this time glaring at the blue-eyed boy.

"What was that for!?"

Gray stared up at him with tearing eyes. "But we're not allowed to play together if we get in trou-"

"But I almost had him!" Natsu snapped. "I don't need you telling me what to do! I can take care of myself, unlike you!"

A fist slammed into his stomach, right were Gajeel had hit him seconds earlier. Natsu staggered back, his arms hugging his middle in pain. He was plenty aware of how big the bruise would be tomorrow, one that would be rather hard to explain if his father happened to see it. He glanced up to see Gray running back towards the schoolhouse, leaving him at the edge of the playground.

"You're a jerk, Natsu Dragneel!" Gray called from over his shoulder.

…

Natsu yanked his chair from under his desk and sat down, still fuming. The kid beside him, who so happened to be one of his best friends, gave him a question look from her seat next to him. Lucy was the model of a mother's picturesque daughter. Her glossy blonde hair was neatly in place and she possessed unblemished, polished clean skin which stood out compared to most other girls his age. She wore a spotless dress that hugged her waist with a bright yellow bow. She was a modern child princess in her own way, which was why she as one of the most unlikely candidates for being the hot headed, crude pinkette's friend.

Natsu ignored her, his irritable side still in existence as he stared daggers at his homework laid out in front of him. The blonde watched him quietly as he scrawled out the addition problems on the worksheet, getting a few of them wrong as he did so. She could practically feel the ire rolling of him as he boiled beside her.

The seat across the blonde scraped across the floor, quickly being occupied by the most terrifying schoolgirl in third grade history. She held a tomboy, head-strong attitude that set her apart from the jubilant blonde. Her normal vibrant red hair had been braided and tied back, flowing down her back in one long piece. She wore a simple silvery grey top. A crisp, knee length white skirt that had a brown belt hung from her waist, blue tights underneath. Her recognizable, serious expression was settled on her face, one that usually gave younger children chills when she walked in the room.

The scarlet glanced over to the empty seat next to her. The last corner of their pod remained vacant. Lucy motioned with her eyes to the other side of the room. The red head glanced over. Her dark brown eyes roamed over the room until they finally landed on the bowed raven head of their friend. Gray was sitting as far away from them as he could, ferociously concentrating on his set of math problems, blocking out everything else. The scarlet frowned, it wasn't like the raven it be separate from them, especially Natsu. She frowned and punitively glanced back at the rosette. "What did you do?!"

Natsu crossed his arms over his chest defensively. "Who said I did anything? Maybe he's just tired of you."

Erza stared at him blankly for a moment before grabbing and twisting his ear. Natsu let out a cry as the scarlet twirled his ear even more. In a polite tone that drastically contrasted with her actions she voiced "You want to change your answer?"

Natsu shivered at the command, no question in her voice, as that would have meant he had a choice. He managed a nod and was promptly dropped back down. The pinkette rubbed his sore ear, trying to numb the pain. "He's just mad."

"About?"

"How should I know?" Erza's intense brown eyes bore down on him, making him want to curl up on himself. The rosette looked away, not able to take the pressure the girl was pressing on him. "He may be mad at me now…"

"Then go apologize."

"Like hell I will!" Lucy shook her head at him and a foot slammed into his shin from under the table. Natsu yelped and rubbed the now throbbing area. The teacher looked up from their desk and sent them a questioning look. The blonde offered them a sweet smile and they were soon free of lingering suspicion. "He'll get over it." Natsu muttered. "He always does. He's just mad because I didn't want his help in a fight-"

"What was that!?" Erza demanded.

"Nothing!" Natsu held up his hands innocently.

Erza nodded her approval, easily accepting his response. The salmon haired boy buried his head in his arms. "It's not like I didn't know what I was doing." He said in a voice so low only Lucy could hear him. The golden stranded girl leaned forward, trying to not lose his voice over the bustling of the room. "He just didn't stand up for himself…so I thought I would."

Lucy gently patted his shoulder. "I'm sure he has his reasons why he won't."

"Not any good ones." His voice came out a grumble as he moved his eyes over to watch his best friend from across the room. They may have been friends since a young age but with a bullheaded attitude Natsu couldn't fathom how laid back the raven could be.

"Maybe he just doesn't want to."

"Maybe." Natsu sighed, unsatisfied with the blonde's suggestion. It was always like that, though. They'll be playing together and the next thing he'll know is that Gray had to sit down because he couldn't stand anymore and his skin turned ashen. They could play rough at times, but at others the raven could hardly even move and they were confined to simple recreation.

"Or maybe he's too much of a pansy to do anything."

Three heads snapped over to see the smug face of the class menace, one that had small school children cowering behind Erza if it meant being saved from the torment he inflicted. Gajeel's slicked back hair and snakelike eyes made his appearance all the more sickening. Natsu wished he could have been able to tangle that mane and blacken those reptilian eyes earlier that day.

"What do you want?" Natsu gritted his teeth as the boy just stuck his nose up at them, an infamous threat amongst the class population.

"I'm just saying, maybe if he wasn't such a weakling he would do more than hide behind you."

"Gray's tough! Don't even try talking bad about him." Natsu clenched his fist, feeling his anger from earlier come back to him all at once. This time he didn't care what happened for any sordid act he committed. All he wanted was to defend his friends.

Gajeel snorted at him. "Hey, I'm not the one who's friends with such a coward-"

Natsu could feel his skin break on Gajeel's front teeth.

The next minute passed in a blur. He faintly realized the teacher running towards him, trying to push past kids that had gotten up to watch. He realized Erza and Lucy who we're hanging back and letting him get his anger out. He realized the pounding of his and Gajeel's fist on each other, and he realized the blood dripping from his nose.

Most of all, he realized Gray.

He wasn't sure how, but the raven was right next to him. He felt himself grin as Gray jumped onto Gajeel's back and held him down for the pinkette to get one last hit in, directly to Gajeel's nose.

Then a hand clamped around both his and Gray's wrist and they were yanked away and the law of the class came down on them like hammers.

…

Natsu hung his head back, pinching the bridge of his nose. Gray sat next to him, gingerly pressing an ice pack to the pinkette's black eye. Band aids had already been placed over his scrapes and cuts, and he could feel a lump coming on from one of them. The office secretary sat at the counter, keeping an eye on them to make sure they didn't get any more ideas. Their reprimand from the principal was still fresh on their minds, as they sat Gajeel was getting his own censure. Of course none of this added together was going to be as bad as what was to come when_ they_ got here.

The pinkette flinched as the cold bit into his skin. Gray held the ice to his cheek, trying to get the swelling to go down. Natsu hissed when the worst of the damaged tissue felt the temperature change. "Sorry," Gray whispered, trying not to cause the rosette any more pain.

"It's fine." Natsu whispered back. "I'm just happy you're not mad at me anymore."

Gray grinned at him. "I just didn't want you thinking I need help all the time."

"Lesson learned." Natsu smiled. The secretary glanced up and held her fingers to her lips, a warning that troublemakers don't get the luxury of communication. Gray mouthed a silent 'thank you' and went back to his procedure of fixing the other up. The rosette made sure the secretary was no longer pay attention before whispering, "How come you didn't get mad when Gajeel made fun of you earlier?"

Gray was silent for so long the eight year old began wondering if he had even heard him. He glanced into Gray's bright eyes. There wasn't a pondering look to be found on the raven's face, if anything there was one of acceptance. The pale boy leaned back, inspecting his work before letting out a small sigh. "I guess I just didn't really care. I got enough funny looks when I didn't have hair…somehow Gajeel making fun of me doesn't bug me that much."

"Well it bugs me." Natsu crossed his arms over his chest, sulking.

Gray beamed at him. "Don't worry. As long as we have each other it doesn't matter what other's think, right?"

Natsu's mouth formed a toothy smile. One that Gray often commented made him look like a dragon from a storybook, especially with those razor sharp canines of his. "Right."

The office door slammed open and a very irritated man walked in, making the pinkette shrink in fear. Less than a moment later a raven haired woman entered, much in the same state as the man. Natsu saw Gray copy him, trying to become small until he couldn't be seen.

Both their parents stared down at them, disappointment sketched across their faces. Both boys averted their eyes, shame filling them. Detriment ate away at the hopes of seeing each other this weekend as the silence passed between them. The secretary looked up, muttered a gruff "They're not allowed back today," and went back to her own work.

Igneel nodded and turned to her. "My deepest apologies to those who my son caused grief." Natsu swallowed hard as his father grabbed his wrist and yanked him out the door without another word to anyone else in the room.

Ur stared down at her son. Her dark eyes usually full of life were filled with discontent as she studied him, her lips formed a solid line, widely different in comparison to the bright smile she usually had. Gray squirmed, not used to having her look at him like this. She pointed to the door and Gray slowly slid from the chair and walked out, obedient to her command. He felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment at failing to meet his mom's expectations.

They left the school building in a hush. Their footsteps were the only sounds to reverberate off of the scorching cement sidewalk. Not even the birds that that lived in the trees surrounding the institute dared to shake the branches with their shifting weight. It was as if the universe was waiting to let only his punishment be dealt out, leaving him to remain silent as he took in the atmosphere of the situation.

"Remember what I told you."

Gray hung his head. If he heard it once he's heard it a thousand times. Ever since he was young it had been a rule, before and after his years of malady. He recalled the talk they had the previous year, on whether or not he should be homeschooled to make sure nothing serious happened. Everything was depending on his maturity level. "Not to fight."

"Now do that."

The eight year old nodded.

…

"That's the last I want to hear of you two fighting again. Understood?"

Natsu nodded, though most of his attention was on not throwing up than listening to his father. His stomach churned as their car sped along the winding road, his motion sickness trying to get the better of him. He forced down the gags and his lunch when they turned a sharp corner.

"One minute I'm looking at x-rays, the next I'm getting a call that my own son can't control himself. I've raised you better than this." Igneel didn't bother to hold in the deride contained in his tone. If his son was old enough to act out like a man, he could handle ridicule like one.

Natsu nodded again. Guilt consumed him at his father's words. If there was one thing he'd learned these past few years was that doctors like his father were needed at work. They didn't have time to waste on minor things like this. But if there was one other thing he learned, it was that there was never a final incident. If he got in trouble once he'll get in trouble again.

"Now you're getting your friends involved? That's inexcusable, and Gray of all people. If you shouldn't be fighting he definitely shouldn't. You're just lucky he didn't get injured."

Natsu didn't even have the strength to nod this time. His compunction overwhelmed him at the possibility of getting his friend hurt. Another round of nausea consumed him and he had to place his head between his knees.

"That being said…" Igneel sighed, patiently waiting for his son to regain his composure. He kept one hand one the steering wheel and used the other to rub his eyes. He contemplated if he was getting too old to handle a child. Time spent in medical school made him start too late.

"Did you win?"

Like magic the pinkette's frown turned right side up, he grinned at his dad, teeth flashing in victory. His black eyes sparkled with peppy mischief that could be seen from a mile away. "You should have seen the other guy."

* * *

**Still debating if this should end a tragedy...**

**Just kidding, I already know if it will be or not. (Suspense is such an affable friend.)**

**Thanks for reading the chapter, everyone! **


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